High/low: Stylish bar cart

Which is high and which is low?

Can you tell the difference?

High: $5,483

1 Atomic Divine wallpaper in ATO104, Prime Walls, $219 per double roll. 2 Vintage copper and brass starburst wall art, 30", Queen West Antique Centre, $495. 3 Arteriors white glass Lola table lamp, Barrymore Furniture, $512. 4 Marchesa for Lenox crystal and gold-plated metal Imperial Caviar glass, William Ashley China, $84 per set of 2. 5 Copper-plated stainless steel Japanese Copper cocktail shaker, BYOB Cocktail Emporium, $135. 6 Orrefors crystal Divine decanter, William Ashley China, $174. 7 Waterford Mad Men crystal decanter in Gold Band, William Ashley China, $450. 8 Moser glass Royal Edward Gold coupes, William Ashley China, $431 per set of 4. 9 Two-bottle nickel-plated brass ice bucket with horn handles, Mi Casa, $270. 10 Rosé champagne, 750 ml, Veuve Clicquot, $83. 11 Orrefors crystal Balans champagne flutes, $50 each, William Ashley China, $200. 12 Worlds Away gold-leafed steel and mirror Gerard G bar cart, Cocoon Furnishings, $1,170. 13 Lisa Taylor painted Italian beech and quilted vinyl Wedding chair in White, Chair Source, $1,260.

Low: $1,800

1 Ornamental wallpaper in Pink, Walls Republic, $159 US per double roll. 2 Painted metal Gold Sun mirror, 36", Bowring, $200. 3 Mix-and-match white polyresin lamp base, Bouclair Home, $40. White linen lampshade, Bouclair Home, $24. 4 Double old-fashioned gold-leafed glass, Artifacts, $129 per set of 6. 5 Orb electroplated stainless steel Copper cocktail shaker, Crate and Barrel, $30. 6 Glass Cantina Wine decanter, Bowring, $20. 7 Silkscreened glass Mingle decanter, Crate and Barrel, $55. 8 Speakeasy Collection glass coupes, BYOB Cocktail Emporium, $9 each. 9 Stainless steel ice bucket, HomeSense, $30. 10 Vino dei Poeti Rosé sparkling wine, 750 ml, Bottega, $14. 11 Bormioli Rocco glass Nadia champagne flutes, Kitchen Stuff Plus, $15 per set of 4. 12 Metal and glass Fouquet bar cart, Zilli Home Interiors, $799. 13 Resin, recycled leather and vinyl Lacquer Dining chair, Zilli Home Interiors, $249.

Chic decanters

Whether storing spirits in your china cabinet or serving wine at supper, decanters do away with any ugly labelled bottles that can bring down your tablescape style. Here’s a handful of options we think are worth toasting. 1 Cut glass, HomeSense, $100. 2 Atlantis Crystal mouth-blown crystal Viva Whiskey, William Ashley China, $169. 3 Handmade glass Gala with gold and platinum paint, Crate and Barrel, $80. 4 Mouth-blown glass Cantina Wine, Bowring, $20. 5 Spiegelau crystal Up & Down, Linen Chest, $150. 6 Riedel mouth-blown lead crystal Curly in Clear, Linen Chest, $275. 7 Orrefors crystal Divine, William Ashley China, $174.

The Bar Chef's best

Impress guests with Toronto-based Mixologist Frankie Solarik's The Pyrat Cocktail Ingredients 2 oz Pyrat rum 1 orgeat liqueur ice cube 1 bitter almond and orange blossom ice cube Freshly grated walnut, for garnish 1 flamed orange zest, for garnish Directions 1 Pour the rum into a snifter and set the glass on the top left corner of a slate serving plate. 2 To its right, arrange ice tongs, a serving spoon and a lighter. 3 Closest to your guest, place the orgeat liqueur ice cube and the bitter almond and orange blossom ice cube. 4 Beside the ice, add 2 regular ice cubes. Just before presenting it to your guest, garnish the ice with the grated walnut and use the tongs to transfer the ice cubes to the snifter. 5 Stir and garnish with the flamed orange zest.

Bar cart accessories

You may only pull your bar cart into play during party season, but it doesn’t have to look like a temporary effort. Along with the expected cocktail accoutrements, shake things up by adding everyday pieces like a table lamp and vase to the mix, making your drinks station just as chic and stylish as the libations you serve.

Bar cart: Low

1 Metal and glass Fouquet, Zilli Home Interiors, $799. 2 Glass, mirror and metal Terrace in Antique Brass, West Elm, $479. 

Bar cart: High

1 Welded steel and tempered glass Beckett in Antique Brass with leather-wrapped handles, Williams-Sonoma, $1,199. 2 Worlds Away gold-leafed steel and mirror Gerard G, Cocoon Furnishings, $1,170.

Bar cart essential: Ice bucket

From a fancy dinner for friends to a romantic evening for two, an ice bucket is essential for setting a celebratory mood. Sturdy handles help you carry your bucket from the dinner table to, say, the hot tub deck, double layers add extra insulation and a lid keeps the cool in (particularly important when the evening starts to heat up!). 1 Brass, BYOB Cocktail Emporium, $40. 2 Hammered stainless steel with leather strap, Artifacts, $275. 3 GlucksteinHome Essentials embossed steel, Hudson’s Bay, $70. 4 Hand-hammered stainless steel square-handled, Mi Casa, $110. 5 Cast stainless steel with drop handles, Mi Casa, $140. 6 Gold-finished cast aluminum, HomeSense, $40. 7 Two-bottle nickel-plated brass with horn handles, Mi Casa, $270. 8 Two-toned aluminum, HomeSense, $17. 9 Lenox Tuscany Classics stainless steel, Hudson’s Bay, $100.